NMC seeking two new lay Council members

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is seeking two new lay Council members to join the Chair and nine other Council members on the governing body of the NMC.

The Chair of the NMC, Professor Dame Janet Finch, said:

“These are challenging and rewarding roles influencing an important public protection agenda in a sector that is changing at a pace we have not seen before.”

“The Council has set an ambitious strategy to be a dynamic, innovative, leading regulator. We have already begun an exciting programme of transformation to help us achieve this and deliver better value for money.”

“As a Council member you will play a vital role in shaping and delivering our plans. We are looking for individuals of outstanding calibre with experience and expertise particularly in large scale organisational change either in the public or private sector.”

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Notes for editors

The Nursing and Midwifery Council exists to protect the public through the regulation of over 692,550 nurses and midwives in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. As well as maintaining a register of nurses and midwives allowed to practise in the UK, we also set standards of education, training, conduct and performance so that nurses and midwives can deliver high quality healthcare. We make sure that nurses and midwives keep their skills and knowledge up to date through a regular revalidation process. Nurses and midwives must uphold our professional standards and we have clear and transparent processes to investigate nurses and midwives who fall short of these standards.

The Council is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the NMC, making sure it remains focused on protecting patients and the public, and overseeing the work of its executive team.

Under the Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001, the Council must comprise six registrant and six lay members, and have representation from all four UK countries. The vacancies arise following the departure of Quinton Quayle and Amerdeep Somal who had served as lay members of the Council since May 2013.

Applications for these roles are open to lay candidates from Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and England. To be eligible for appointment you must:

a. Not be, and never have been, a registered nurse or midwife; and b. Not hold qualifications which would entitle you to apply to be a registered nurse or midwife.